The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
Council Member: Dr. Raj Shah, Administrator, United States Agency for International Development
Council Designee: Carla Koppell, Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and a Senior Advisor to the USAID Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
Carla Koppell currently serves as the US Agency for International Development Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and a Senior Advisor to the USAID Administrator. In that role, she is spearheading enhancement of US development assistance efforts to serve and empower women around the world and ensure that programs are designed and implemented in a gender sensitive manner.
Previously, Koppell served as director of The Institute for Inclusive Security and the Washington, DC office of Hunt Alternatives Fund where she worked to ensure that peace processes around the world involve women and civil society. While there, she worked extensively with leaders from volatile conflict zones including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan.
Earlier in her career, Koppell was senior adviser and, prior to that, interim director of the Conflict Prevention Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, where she authored “Preventing the Next Wave of Conflict: Understanding Non-Traditional Threats to Global Stability.” Ms. Koppell served as deputy assistant secretary for international affairs of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was also special assistant to the administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), director of the USAID climate change program, and has worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
She received her M.A. in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her B.A. from Cornell University.
Council Designee: Susan Markham, Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, U.S. Agency for International Development
Susan Markham is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. In that role, she is working to improve the lives of citizens around the world by advancing equality between females and males, and empowering women and girls to participate fully in and benefit from the development of their societies. USAID recognizes that promoting gender equality and female empowerment is fundamental to our mission to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity. As Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Susan works with senior leadership and mission staff to fully integrate gender equality and female empowerment into USAID’s policies, programs, and strategies.
Susan comes with an extensive background in both domestic and international women’s political empowerment. She most recently served as Director of Women’s Political Participation at the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Through this senior leadership role she supported the aspirations of women around the world to be equal and active partners in shaping and leading democratic societies. NDI’s programs create an environment where women can advocate on matters of policy, run for political office, govern effectively, and participate meaningfully in every facet of civic and political life.
Susan has a B.A. in political science and international studies from the Ohio State University. She received her master's degree in public policy and women's studies from George Washington University.
